IP: I lied when I said it was the last word re - tempest in a teapot -- a note from the author I streonglyy endorse

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 07:22:19 -0700
> To: farber () cis upenn edu
> From: Mark Laubach <laubach () inconvenient net>
> Subject: re: tempest in a teapot
>
> Dave,
>
> I read with some disappointment the finality of the statement
> "technologically infeasible".  The real message I was delivering
> should also have the words "at this time" appended to that statement.
> Yes, the short term look ahead is that the soon to be off-the-shelf
> cable technology does not support ideal open access. However, with
> some planning we could move towards a technology platform in all
> broadband systems that does support open access.   In the mean time,
> we may be able to bridge the gap (this is not a well needed gap...<g>)
> with less than ideal open access solutions.
>
> What became clear to me in the preparation for the paper was the
> inconsistency of any shared definition of "open access".  Therefore,
> I developed my own ideal open access model in the paper and focused my
> discussion and conclusions based on that model.  I had hopes that it
> would be recognized that this country needs a shared consistent
> definition, so I prodded the point as best I could.  Everyone
> really has their own definition in their minds, we really need to
> avoid that.  There should be one shared mindset definition of open
> access. The caveat is that definition to technical delivery, it will
> take some years to get there.
>
> We are very quickly approaching an age in the world, let alone this country,
> where we will have four different forms of broadband access "last mile"
> technologies making themselves available to the home: concentric pair,
> twisted pair, wireless, and fiber optical.  I personally would like to
> avoid, where possible, having a separate broadband interconnect attached
> to my home just to access an additional services or change services or
> provider. The time is now to start laying that groundwork.
>
> Yours truly,
> Mark